Aston Villa

Here's all you need to know about transfer deadline day on Friday...

When does the window close?

The transfer window will close at 23:00 BST on Friday, 30 August for the Premier League, English Football League and Scotland.

The date was brought forward by the domestic leagues to align with European leagues.

Across Europe, the Bundesliga window will close at 19:00, Ligue 1 at 22:00, La Liga at 22:59 and Serie A at 23:00, but the Saudi Pro League transfer window remains open until 7 September.

Can a Premier League player signed on deadline day play this weekend?

Under league rules, new signings are eligible for the next Premier League game if the club submit the required documents by midday on the last working day before that match.

So any player signed after 12:00 on deadline day would be unable to play in this round of Premier League fixtures.

Where can I see all the confirmed transfer deals on deadline day?

You can find all the deals completed on transfer deadline day within our dedicated confirmed transfers page.

When does the January transfer window open?

Clubs will be able to make transfers again from Wednesday, 1 January until Monday, 3 February at 23:00 GMT. This is the same in Germany, Italy, Spain and France.

How can I follow transfer deadline day on the BBC?

We have this live page dedicated to all the latest transfer news, reaction and analysis.

You will also find regular updates on BBC Radio 5 Live and breaking news across BBC Sport's social media channels, including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

There will also be a special edition of The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer and the Red Button from 22:00 until 23:15.

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Aston Villa's Champions League draw is complete - Unai Emery's side finally know which eight clubs they will meet in the new 36-team league format.

As a reminder, all of the teams that have qualified for the Champions League this year will be in one 36-team league phase, rather than the past format of eight four-team groups.

The Villains will face: Bayern Munich (H), Leizpig (A), Juventus (H), Club Bruges (A), Celtic (H), Young Boys (A), Bologna (H) and Monaco (A).

The order in which the fixtures will take place will be announced on Saturday by Uefa.

Champions League group phase dates:

Matchday 1: 17–19 September 2024

Matchday 2: 1-2 October 2024

Matchday 3: 22-23 October 2024

Matchday 4: 5-6 November 2024

Matchday 5: 26-27 November 2024

Matchday 6: 10-11 December 2024

Matchday 7: 21-22 January 2025

Matchday 8: 29 January 2025

Champions League knockout stage dates:

Knockout round play-offs: 11-12 and 18-19 February 2025

Round of 16: 4-5 and 11-12 March 2025

Quarter-finals: 8-9 and 15-16 April 2025

Semi-finals: 29-30 April and 6-7 May 2025

Final: 31 May 2025, Munich

See how the rest of the draw panned out

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City, Arsenal Liverpool and Aston Villa are about to find out who they will face in the new league phase of this season's competition.

Follow it all unfold here

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Aston Villa are set to discover their Champions League fixtures from 17:00 BST and defender Lucas Digne has revealed he is eagerly "awaiting the draw" to see who they will be facing.

Speaking to VillaTV about competing in Europe's elite club competition this season, Digne said: "It is the best cup in the world. Every player dreams to play in that type of game.

"Every team is really good. I would maybe like to face Barcelona because I played there before but, other than that, I have no preference."

After taking three points from their first two Premier League games, Digne is expecting another "tough game" against Leicester City this weekend: "We started the season with a win away at West Ham. We didn't have the best performance against Arsenal, but we competed. The results change on whether you score or not, so we keep going.

"I'm expecting a tough game at Leicester. Last time we went there, it was really hard and we scored in the last minute with Bertrand Traore. It was an amazing moment and important, but I expect a tough game like every time you go away in the Premier League."

Read all about the new Champions League format

Interim head coach Lee Carsley has named his first England squad for September's Nations League games against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Newcastle defender Tino Livramento, Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, Lille's Angel Gomes and Chelsea's Noni Madueke are the four new caps named.

The transfer deadline is almost upon us, so tell us what you've made of your club's business and if more is needed?

Send your thoughts here, external

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Marc Albrighton has retired from professional football at the age of 34.

The winger made 310 Premier League appearances, most notably for Leicester City - who he helped win the title with in the 2015-16 season - and Aston Villa, his boyhood club.

On a post on his Instagram, external, he said: "As a footballer, there comes a day when you must hang up your boots, and I've often wondered how it would feel when my time came. Now that this day has arrived, I find myself filled with gratitude and peace.

"From the moment I kicked my first ball as a young boy, my dream was always to play for Aston Villa. To have achieved that once would have been more than enough. Yet, to play over 100 games for my boyhood club is something I will forever by immensely proud of.

"What followed was a decade of extraordinary moments that I could have never imagined in my wildest dreams. Ten unforgettable years at Leicester City, winning major trophies, playing and scoring in the Champions League, and forming lasting bonds with incredible people at such a special and unique club.

"I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported me along the journey - the staff, managers, coaches, owners, my agent, Tim, and, of course, my team-mates. Without you, none of this would have been possible."

Aston Villa will move for Roma's England forward Tammy Abraham, 26, if Colombia striker Jhon Duran, 20 leaves the club before the transfer deadline. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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The draw has been made for the Carabao Cup third round, with 17 Premier League clubs having made it through or entering at this stage.

There are three all-Premier League fixtures, including holders Liverpool hosting West Ham in a repeat of last season's quarter-final.

Ties will be played in the weeks commencing 16 September and 23 September.

All the fixtures featuring top-flight sides are shown below:

• AFC Wimbledon v Newcastle United

• Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers

• Brentford v Leyton Orient

• Brighton & Hove Albion v Wolverhampton Wanderers

• Chelsea v Barrow

• Coventry City v Tottenham Hotspur

• Everton v Southampton

• Liverpool v West Ham United

• Manchester City v Watford

• Manchester United v Barnsley

• Preston North End v Fulham

• Queens Park Rangers v Crystal Palace

• Walsall v Leicester City

• Wycombe Wanderers v Aston Villa

See the full draw

The new-look Champions League draw will be held on Thursday from 17:00 BST and you can watch it live on the BBC Sport website.

Teams will discover which eight clubs they will meet (four at home and four away) - but no actual groups will be drawn.

All the teams will be in one 36-team league phase, as compared to the past format of eight four-team groups.

So how will the draw work?

Teams will be placed in four pots according to their seeding. Each team face two teams from each pot, one at home and one away.

A team will be drawn out of a pot and then Uefa's software will decide their eight opponents - and whether they will be at home or away.

It means more matches between the biggest teams. For example, Manchester City could face Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

The software stops teams playing rivals from their own country - and means each team can only play two clubs from any one country.

Uefa says the computer system plans ahead so will ensure no teams further down the line get drawn against teams they cannot face.

How does the new format work?

Teams who finish in the top eight will qualify automatically for the last 16, while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

Whoever finishes 25th or lower will be eliminated and will not be entered into the Europa League.

From the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its existing format with the final taking place at a neutral venue - Munich this year.

The number of matches in the new format will increase from 125 to 189.

Each team will play a minimum of eight - instead of six - and a maximum of 17.

The league phase will now run until the end of January instead of ending before Christmas.

Find out more about the draw and how you can watch it live on the BBC here

As transfer deadline day looms, what do Aston Villa need to do before it's too late? Or are you happy with where things are up to?

Tell us here, external

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The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday at the conclusion of the second-round tie between Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United.

The seven English clubs involved in European competitions this season, including holders Liverpool, will enter at the third-round stage.

Ties will take place on weeks commencing 16 and 23 September.

Because there are rounds of Champions League and Europa League fixtures also scheduled for those two midweeks, the six clubs involved in those competitions - Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United - will be kept apart to ensure they can fulfil their Carabao Cup tie in the alternate midweek to their European fixture.

Those six clubs will take part in a pre-draw before Forest v Newcastle to decide if they will be at home or away in the third round, with a main draw determining the 16 ties later in the evening.

Should Chelsea progress to the next phase of the Conference League, they will not be in action in that competition again until the start of October.

Chelsea have identified Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran as an alternative to Napoli striker Victor Osimhen. (Givemesport), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

David Michael
Fan writer

When Aston Villa were thrashed 5-1 by Newcastle United at the start of last season, Sir Alex Ferguson was asked on TV which team had impressed him the most on the opening day. To the surprise of the presenter and pundits, he replied, "Aston Villa."

While I'm no Sir Alex, midway through both of Villa's matches against West Ham and Arsenal this season, I couldn't help but think that, regardless of the result, Villa were impressive. They were clearly evolving beyond the team they were last season. In a campaign where they will embark on a Champions League journey, there's certainly a sense that this team is growing more robust, ready to rise to challenges ahead, and capable of taking a few big scalps.

Arsenal, even this early in the season, would have known the significance of their win. Having failed to pick up any points against Villa last season - that had cost them dearly in the title race - securing victory at Villa Park was a crucial step in the right direction. Mikel Arteta would have realised that few teams will manage to leave Villa Park with a win this season.

This progress on the pitch is reassuring, especially with the Champions League draw looming this week.

Off the pitch, however, many Villa supporters faced chaos at Villa Park, despite paying increased ticket prices this season. The transition to digital ticketing, with tickets belatedly issued just days before the first home game, caused confusion.

Delayed turnstile openings led to 40-minute queues for many fans, and some season ticket holders relocated to accommodate new hospitality areas found themselves without alternative seats. Meanwhile, drainage issues around the stadium caused less-than-ideal conditions (to put it politely) in the toilets and on concourses.

As Villa fans gear up for the excitement of their Champions League adventure, they would no doubt appreciate basic matchday operations running at above non-league standards.

Find more from David Michael at My Old Man Said, external

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa winger Samuel Iling-Junior is closing in on a season-long loan move to Bologna.

The 20-year-old joined Villa from Juventus at the end of June in an £11.8m move, with a potential further £2.5m payable add-ons.

The move went through at the same time as midfielder Douglas Luiz completed a move in the other direction.

But Iling-Junior is close to a rapid return to Italy through Bologna, a club that secured a shock qualification to the Champions League through an impressive fifth place finish in Serie A.

The move is dependant on a medical but the former Chelsea academy product is in Italy finalising the move.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Aston Villa and Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Villa fans

Ian: Fine margins! Any other day and Villa win by two or three goals. It was just one of them days for Ollie Watkins. It was a good, solid performance against a top side in Arsenal, who will go close to the title again. I thought Rogers was outstanding, he was the best player on the pitch. The bench didn't really do it this week, but we are only two games in and I'm encouraged for the season ahead.

Dudley: I thought we were the better team, but goals change games. There is a big week ahead in the transfer window to see if we can strengthen. Raheem Sterling would be a good asset.

David: A tale of two pre-seasons. Rogers worked hard in pre-season and looks sharp. Watkins had no pre-season whatsoever after the Euros and it showed. Early signs are good this season. The tactics were spot on but we just needed to be clinical in front of goal.

Sam: The two games this season have seen a more structured Villa. They are more confident at the back and, most notably, there are less mistakes when building from the back. Ollie Watkins is still finding his feet this season and otherwise would have scored two goals. The Onana and Tielemans mix in midfield looks solid and we look a more balanced team. There is no shame here.

Arsenal fans

Jordan: Solid statement win is what we needed right now! However, the next few games will be a true test of our mettle as title contenders. Performance wise, we were fairly resolute and solid. Raya deserved POTM for his save and for keeping us in it. We need to shore up in our forward areas but my main focus would be a right-winger rather than a striker, just so we can rotate Saka.

Kevin: Arsenal were in difficulty at times and, on a different day, could have lost this match. They lacked some fluency against a well-organised Aston Villa, but their determination and quality finally paid off in the final quarter. They finished the match strongly. Saka and Odegaard were both good, but the star of the day was David Raya.

Sani: I really enjoyed every minute from the start to finish. Villa Park will be tough for every team that visit it this season, as always. When Emiliano Martinez saved Saka's shot in first half, I thought it was going to be another day of frustration. Trossard is always reliable and I wonder how Martinez allowed Partey's shot to squeeze inside his net.

Hakeem: Not as impressive and promising as is being touted! Did Arsenal overdo the number of pre-season matches they played? They are looking tired. Arsenal need more reinforcements at centre-back plus two lethal strikers up front. I have a sneaky feeling that this year's title outcome may be decided by goal difference.

Image source, Getty Images

Aston Villa were left nursing a huge of sense of missed opportunity after the loss to Arsenal at Villa Park.

Two of Villa's most reliable performers, England striker Ollie Watkins and Argentina's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez, were culpable as the Gunners ran out 2-0 winners.

Watkins missed a golden chance in first half, shooting wide with only Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya to beat, and he was also the victim of Raya's second half wonder save - although he still should have scored with his diving header.

Martinez - 'the world's number one' according to pretty much everyone inside Villa Park - fumbled Thomas Partey's routine shot from the edge of the area to give Arsenal their crucial second goal.

However, this was a performance which will still give Villa plenty of hope, especially with the outstanding display from 22-year-old Morgan Rogers.

Rogers was their best performer - mixing running power and dribbling skill, that was simply too much for Arsenal on many occasions, with genuine quality on the ball to ride the challenges, win the physical exchanges and create chances.

He was a threat throughout and, while the result may have been disappointing for Villa, everything Rogers did suggests they have a serious prospect on their hands.

Gary Lineker presents highlights and analysis from Saturday's seven Premier League fixtures.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.

Listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Tottenham 4-0 Everton

• Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal